Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-06-01

The national life ~ hvsavea ma = -.
saved freedom asd ps1alae esvsrnn<ns
vas involved and they we're tsecaed ssd pre.
served. The passions Of haired and rsvenre.
or patriotism. Of hopes and fears Of q Rress
nation we're excited to their erea,,ss tsnsion
for four long ysars; the erese<ss armies
raised. dscimated and disbsnaed. Not ealv
hundreds and thodsands slain, bat hundreds
and thousands from heudesds and thousa nd.
Of bafslehelds. Watefloe vas Q great battle.
but here was greater than Waterloo. The
battle Of the Nile was great where great vas
Nelson. Bat Fsrragut forcing the
IRON cables under The guns Of Fort 81.
Philip and facisg the fess Of irsnclads and
nss ships till hs ranged his guns along the
crescent levees of New Orleans, vas greater
than Nelson Il the battle Of the Nile. With
more battles. With greater loss Of life and
more secured thereby than in all the wars Of
England from the time Of William the
Conqueror to the present dav, do ve van,
great event! No, no. This festival shall
not pale it, Intellectual free in coming
years.
.'Tis the sunset q years gives me- mythical lore,
And coming sveats cast tAeir shadows befsrs."
No, this beautiful custom shall not fall into
decay. We and our children. and our chill
dren's children's children. will raise trophies
oy the victory won, victory of the nation over
itself. saving its own life, establishing tree
dom, assuring life. liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness to millions yet unborn, not only Of
our own country but OF the whole world. Let
US, then, build affairs, and continue to build
affairs, to the mighty host of those who came
not back to the shores Of their loved Lacede
mon. To Lyon faithful found among the
faithless," who now sleeps on the banks of the
Father of Waters; Kearney the brave, Kear.
ney whose coming was like the morning star
who fell fighting on the bloody field of Chan
h.ly; Reynolds, the noble, too modest for his
country's good, who went down mIdst mourn.
ing at Gettysburg's historic field; the
sturdy Sedgwick, the idol of his corps. pierre
ed at the mighty rsmparts of Spottsylvania;
the brilliant McPherson-but who can name
the chieftains all? Who can number the
mighty host of unranked heroes slain? Their
headstones dot the green sward of our nation
al cemeteries thicker than sutumnal leaves
strew the brooks in Valhanbrosia." For
each life sacrificed. no matter how humble,
there runs. and will continue to run debt OF
gratitude against this nation without limta-
uons IN perpetuity. How great 10 the debt
for all. Equally honored, equally exalted
shall be all. For just IS pure as the light of
the star of the first magnitude 10 the star
of the fifth magnitude. Brilliant 10
Sirius, Indeed. in his course in the heavens,
glorious Arcturus and his sons. But swset,
sweet are the influences Of the Pleiades.
can beneath the unrivalled rose
The lowly daisy sweetly blows"
As is due, this tribute Of honor shall be
paid forever. Others shall stand in the full
ness of time. where We now stand, and
sound the praises which we vsinly essay !;
others will listen where you now listen
Still on, on in the din aud distant future a.
the rolling years mark the period of this day,
MemOria. Memory, Memorial Day, the pro-
cession shall move to the holy precincts on
yonder hill, where lies the nations dead and
there whispering peace to their slsmbers,
1.-THE light wing. Of zephyr oppressed With perfumes
wax faint DER the gsrlands eseirclingheir tombs"
and the sun in his glory shall
come from the rosy realms of Dawn. and the
stars shall come out from their eternal soil.
tudes and kiss their graves, morning, nosn,
and eve, in endless turn forever and forever